When you realize that two doctors named DeWitt Goodman and Frank Rees Smith solved the Vitamin A toxicity epidemic in the 1970s, and nobody listened.Rest in peace, guys. We got this for you.
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Smith and Goodman published a TON of studies, but the few that really nailed it for me (so far) are these three:
1. 1971 - “The Effects of Diseases of the Liver, Thyroid, and Kidneys on the Transport of Vitamin A in Human Plasma.” https://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC292185/ (full-text PDF at https://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC292185/pdf/jcinvest00199-0200.pdf)
Here, they correlate RBP with serum retinol, but see how they fluctuate in different disease states. Renal disease has RBP go up, but LIVER disease has RBP go down. They figure out that these aren't the best biomarkers, but something goes wrong in liver disease that REDUCES serum retinol and RBP (basically destroying anyone who thinks low serum retinol is a sign of vitamin A "deficiency").
This study was so ahead of its time.
2. 1973 - "Serum vitamin A, retinol-binding protein, and prealbumin concentrations in protein-calorie malnutrition. I. A functional defect in hepatic retinol release"https://sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0002916523333677
Here, they basically cure "vitamin A deficiency" by merely giving children protein and calories. No protein = no RBP = low serum retinol = bad news once retinyl esters start to rise... which leads you to study
3. 1976 - “Vitamin A Transport in Human Vitamin A Toxicity.” https://nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJM197604082941503
Here, they realize that serum retinyl esters bound to LDL are what begin circulating once you're vitamin A toxic, and that these poorly-wrapped molecules are the real homewreckers.
That's basically it dude. Feed protein and zinc, stop overloading vitamin A, get your body to stop dumping retinyl esters into circulation, and you've solved a LOT of the world's problems.
After that, Goodman went heavily into the LDL world (not surprised why at this point), Smith ventured into other areas of vitamins, etc... I'm sure there's more really good stuff they published.
If they were really loud individuals living in this day and age, they may have been social media pariahs (superstars in our minds). Who knows. But they just seemed to publish tons of research and moved on to the next thing. Maybe this is wrong, I'm not gonna read all 300 studies they put out.
But I'm always fascinated by dudes who just figured it out, and really early at that, even if they may not have realized how critical it is what they figured it out. Geniuses in my book, regardless of whatever else they got into later on.
View: https://x.com/MicroBerto/status/1774093059623432629?s=20